Love Panic
by Diana-Jae
Summary: Aya's life is already hectic with juggling school, work, and her social life. It's only about to get crazier when she falls for the son of the couple she's living with and finding out that he doesn't feel the same way. Or does he? Rei x Aya
1. Arrival

**Love Panic**

**Chapter 1 – Arrival**

**By: Diana-Jae**

Aya Hoshino tentatively tucked a stray strand of dark-brown hair behind her ear as she tried to take in the view in front of her. Not believing her hazel eyes, she carefully fished through her purse for a piece a crumpled up sheet of paper on which was written the address of the house she was going to reside in for the remainder of her high school career. Upon reading the numbers written on the piece of paper and matching it onto that posted in embossed gold pieces by the polished wooden door, Aya turned around to face the driver of the cab she had hired.

Smiling nervously, she poked her head into the cab and asked the driver if he were sure that he had taken her to the right place.

"Of course," he barked. "I've been in this line of work for over twenty years, and after driving people here and there, I can practically drive in this city with my eyes closed."

Aya blushed. "Sorry. I…" she paused to look once more at the very expensive piece of property that stood just at the other end of the iron gate, "…well, it's just that I wasn't expecting to be staying in such a… well, a mansion."

The man behind the wheel softened and let his eyes roam out to the house he had parked in front and gave a whistle. "Yup, that is definitely _something_ alright. But you gotta understand that we're in higher class territory, girly."

"Mm. I'm going to be finishing high school here so my parents arranged some sort of negotiation with the couple living here."

The cab driver shut off the meter and then turned off the engine of the car. "So you know the people that live here then?"

Aya shook her head as she began to grab the small bags in the back seat. "Actually, only my parents know them. So these people are complete strangers to me. They've only agreed to let me stay because they're close to my parents business-wise. I'd rather live in an apartment complex if I had a choice, but since this is closer, my parents thought it would be a good idea if I did without the whole commuting ordeal," she paused for a moment, struck by something, and then quickly added, "although I, personally, wouldn't mind."

"There's definitely sense in their reasoning, kid, but to live with total strangers, that's something else." He stepped out of the cab and walked over to the back where he popped open the trunk and pulled out the young woman's suitcase. "Well, it shouldn't be too bad, but I hope everything turns out good for you."

Aya offered him a small smile and thanked him as she took the suitcase from his hands. Fishing through her purse again, she pulled out her wallet and handed over the amount she owed him plus a little something extra for tip. Grabbing her belongings, she walked over to the gate and gently pushed it open.

She had to follow quite a long pebbled path to the front steps of the house where she was immediately greeted by a young man reading a book and paying absolutely no attention to her. Judging by the empty cup atop the wooden side table, he had obviously been sitting there for quite some time. Aya simply had not seen him earlier because he was sitting in a spot just out of view from the gate, and even if she could have seen him, he was partially blocked off by the blossoming cherry flowers just outside the veranda.

The petite girl debated whether or not he should interrupt him to let him know that she was there so that he wouldn't think she was rude. Putting her bag down, she gently cleared her throat, and was rewarded with the reaction she had expected.

He moved the book down and slowly raised his eyes up to meet hers. Aya could feel her cheeks turn a pinkish hue as she realized her voice had suddenly decided to lodge in her throat. She had no idea who this young man was or what he was like, but his looks certainly told her that he was definitely the type to attract. To describe him simply as good looking was far from the truth. This boy was just beyond gorgeous, and at this sudden thought, Aya blushed even more and mentally berated herself for even thinking that.

"Hoshino." Aya blurted out. She suddenly pursed her lips and felt like punching herself for letting her mouth run away with words even before she could tell it to. "I mean… Hi. I'm Aya Hoshino." Again, she felt like hurting herself. Why was it that such an intelligent young woman like herself gifted with a broad sense of vocabulary could be rendered stupid and subjected to such embarrassment when faced with the opposite sex?

Her hazel-colored eyes automatically disengaged themselves from his intent stare. Aya had not been able to detect a single emotion upon the lad's features the entire time, thus intimidating her. She was beginning to think that perhaps the boy was deaf and mute, but to her surprise she heard his deep voice speak.

"Rei Otohata," he replied tersely. "You're the girl renting out one of our rooms?"

Not usually one to disrespect her family, it was an odd thing when Aya suddenly felt the urge to go and yell at her parents for ever bothering to ask for this favor. The boy sitting coolly on the wooden chair had made it sound as if she could not find another place to stay and therefore had to board with them. She felt the embarrassment creep up again as she nodded in response to his query.

The boy, Rei, put his book beside the empty cup of tea on the table and stood up, now towering over Aya's small frame. Picking up her suitcase, he motioned his head towards the front door. "Come on. I'll tell mom and dad you're here."

"Uh, I…" she trailed off when he disappeared through the front door. Grabbing the other smaller bags she had brought with her, she quickly followed him, instantly feeling cool air touch her skin as she entered the home of the Otohatas. The interior of the house looked very well the way she had expected it to from her earlier assumption just by gazing at the exterior. There was a marble table with a vase full of exotic flowers in the foyer alone and a bronze-rimmed mirror adorned the wall upon which the table stood.

Aya took off her shoes and proceeded to neatly place it beside the other pairs. Rei had already disappeared by the time she had gone inside, so choosing to walk past the foray and finding herself in a small area just short of their grand living room, she decided she would wait for the boy to return lest she get lost.

Placing her belongings back on the floor, Aya found herself fidgeting and gently playing with the tips of her hair, a particular habit she had when nervous. The girl didn't wait for too long when she heard footsteps down one of the hallways followed by a few chattering voices.

"Aya," a middle-aged woman with very light skin and dark colored hair pulled into a bun walked up to her with a very gentle smile on her features and greeted her. "Welcome."

**Author Notes: **My first Rei x Aya (or GALS, for that matter) fanfic. I haven't watched the anime nor have I read the manga so this is based purely on word of mouth. ; Also a note, about 99.9 of my written works have been AU, therefore, the conclusion to be drawn from that is that this fic will be AU. The main reason why my stuff is AU is because the fanfics I write are usually about anime or manga that I haven't seen or read before or have only seen or read parts of it. So if I end up writing something completely out of the original storyline, I can point my finger at the big sign that says AU. TT;;

Also, I apologize for the short chapter and lack of Rei and Aya interaction. Upcoming parts will be longer, but it will definitely be a while before the whole Rei x Aya stuff happens. I'll get them talking a little more, but nothing major. And, of course, other GALS characters will soon be making their appearances. Thank you for reading. Hope you liked, and if you didn't… umm… sorry?

Comments, suggestions, flames, constructive and destructive criticisms are most welcome.

Standard disclaimers apply.


	2. Rei Otohata

**Love Panic**

Chapter 2: Rei Otohata

By: Diana-Jae 

_Oh my God! How embarrassing! _Aya wailed mentally as she trudged up the marble staircase towards her bedroom. She had just excused herself from lunch with the Otohatas in their patio and could not get over how she had walked straight into the glass sliding door that led to the dining room. She had been too preoccupied with trying to digest Mr. Otohata's speech about entrance exams to Tokyo University – the college of her choice and the reason for her aggressive study habits. Not more than a couple of seconds had elapsed before she felt a sharp pain against her forehead and an exclamation of worry from the Otohatas. Of course, realizing what she had done, Aya politely waved them off saying she was fine and made a strong attempt to immediately remove herself from sight.

Walking into her new room, she dove for the mirror that hung just above a polished bureau in order to examine the slightly bruised patch of skin on her forehead. It hadn't even been one fourth of the day, and she was already hurting herself. Coming to the conclusion that the bruise didn't look too nasty, something she could surely cover up with the right kind of toner and make-up, she sighed and flopped onto the giant mattress of her bed.

This was certainly going to be a long year. There was no doubt about it. She was already having a hard time making herself presentable for the Otohatas. Imagine the entire year! Then there was also a part-time job she was considering. Although it was a given that her parents would provide all of her financial needs, she wanted to make sure that she wouldn't be a bother to the Otohatas, thus, the more things she had to do, the less time she would be at the house. Also, she reasoned, it wouldn't be a terrible thing if she had extra pocket money.

Aya was about to close her eyes when she heard her bedroom door open and something land on her head. Surprised, she looked up to see that there was an ice pack on her bed and Rei leaning against her doorframe looking at her. She felt her cheeks burn suddenly as his impassive features continued to scrutinize her before tearing his eyes away to gaze nonchalantly out the door.

"That's for your," he paused and then looked at her while pointing at his own head.

Aya shut her eyes in embarrassment and unconsciously put the ice pack onto her forehead while thanking the boy. To her surprise and insult, she thought she had heard a mumbled word strangely sounding like _idiot_, but before she could even look up, he had already walked out the door.

--

"Is she cute?"

Rei was now sitting on the floor at the foot of his bed playing a round of video games with Yuuya, who had decided to stop by just when they had finished dinner. For small talk, he carelessly threw out the new information that his parents had offered one of the rooms to the daughter of a couple they knew from work, but at his friend's sudden question on her appearance, the usually blank expression on his face twisted into a slight frown mixed with disbelief.

Not taking his attention and concentration any more than he had, he gave Yuuya a brief, negative answer. "Nowhere near Kotobuki."

"Ah, so you do _like _Kotobuki."

"No, actually, I was making a comparison," Rei retaliated, and might I add, rather defensively. "Just because I think she looks good doesn't mean I like her."

"Right. Sure."

"Shut up, Yuuya," Rei growled.

And then the other boy laughed.

Aya frowned and continued to walk down the hallway towards her own bedroom. She had not meant to eavesdrop, but on her way back from the bathroom, she couldn't help but overhear Rei talking about her. He hadn't said her name, but he knew who he was talking about. Reaching her room, she was about to turn the knob and walk in, but turned around instead having suddenly decided to take a small walk.

--

"Do you always take walks at night?"

Aya whipped her head around and saw Rei standing just a short distance away from where she was sitting on the park bench with his hands in the pockets of his red sweatshirt. She fiddled with the hem of her shirt with one hand and toyed with the tips of her hair with the other. She suddenly felt the same warm sensation dance across her face at being found out. When he still did not move, she guessed that he wasn't going to until she gave him an answer, and Aya was uncertain whether or not she should answer him. She didn't normally take night walks, but after hearing what he had said, she had just wanted to get out. She had not liked it the first time her parents had proposed the idea, and she disliked it even more when she had arrived. Then to make situations worse, it seemed that the son of the Otohatas did not like her either. Aya had concluded that it really was not a good idea to have come at all.

"I… just wanted some fresh air," she replied softly, shifting her attention to the light that the lamppost gave off.

"This far? Unless there's something different in the air out here, I think it would have been more convenient if you just stepped outside the house and sat out on the patio."

Aya posed a questioning look at him. Why was he still talking to her? She had assumed that he would have left it at her rather reasonable answer and get on with his own life. Why did he have to go and analyze it?

"Why are you out here?"

Rei narrowed his eyes at her subject maneuver, but then shrugged. "Mom and Dad thought you were already sleeping, but I saw you walk out. I didn't see you outside when I walked Yuuya to the front so I figured you went out."

"Why do you care?" Aya immediately wished she were dead. She had not meant to sound or be rude, but it just so happened that she was having one of her _speak-before-thinking_ days. "I'm sorry… I meant…"

"If something happens to you out here, I don't want your parents to think my family's mistreating you," he interrupted rather flatly.

Again, Aya wished she were six feet under. Rei Otohata really didn't like her unless he was just having a really bad day. Flipping her head in the other direction, she immediately waved him off and assured him that she would be fine. "I just want to stay out here for another ten minutes, and then I'll go back. You didn't have to come out here. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Rei Otohata, but thank you for your concern."

Silence lingered in the atmosphere for a moment save the rustling of leaves when the chilly, night air passed through it. Aya shut her eyes tightly as if by doing so, Rei would leave, but she could not hear any sign of him leaving. Aya felt her eyes sting as it accumulated liquid.

I don't want to be here. I want to go home. I want to be in my house, my bedroom, my bed… 

Aya was feeling the pressures of homesickness and loneliness at once, and she unconsciously hugged herself while biting her lip in order to keep the tears from falling. This was the first time she had been away from her house and her parents, and so like most things unfamiliar, it was a frightening experience.

And then to her surprise, she heard footsteps walking away. The tears spilled tumultuously from her surprised eyes the moment she opened them, and whipping her body around in order to watch Rei's figure walk away, she was taken by a greater surprise when the boy was not walking _away _but _towards_ her. There was a small creak on the wooden bench when he bent down to sit on it. Aya watched him with awe as he stared blankly in front of him as if she weren't there, and despite her desire to ask him why he hadn't left, she found it difficult to speak because her voice had suddenly disappeared.

Deciding that she had embarrassed herself for the last time that day, she got up and was about to walk away when she heard Rei call out to her. Looking over her shoulder, she immediately saw red. The cloth slid from where it hit her in the face and landed in her hands. Aya looked at it a while longer, not completely realizing what it was she was now holding, but when she looked back at the now standing Rei in order to ask him what it was, she immediately saw her answer.

"Don't catch a cold, Hoshino." Shoving his hands into his pants pockets, he walked towards her and before passing her by, he paused a short moment beside her. "It's hard being alone, isn't it?"

And with that, the youth continued to walk down the concrete pathway towards the Otohata residence leaving Aya speechless.

--

**Author Notes: **Yay fortheshort Rei x Aya interaction. :P Anyway, I know that Yuuya used to have a thing for Ran in the beginning, but here, he's already going out with Mami just so that things are interesting (besides, I've always like Yuuya x Mami). There were no hints or dialogues that said it in this chapter, but I thought I'd spill the beans now instead of later. Right. So. One or two things in this chapter are implied, but they shouldn't be too hard to figure out. In other words, I hope this chapter flowed smoothly and was straightforward.

Also, just to clear this one part that I thought was kind of vague. When Aya thinks that Rei doesn't like her, I don't mean _like _as in romantically. She just thinks that he doesn't like her in general. I won't get into the romantic kind of _like _until Rei or Aya confesses (whether to themselves or someone else) that they like the other person.

Thank you very much for the reviews. I'm glad that those of you who have read liked what I wrote so far. I hope I can keep you guys interested. :P

Comments, suggestions, flames, constructive and destructive criticism are most welcome.

Standard disclaimers apply.


	3. Ran Kotobuki

**Love Panic**

**Chapter 3: Ran Kotobuki**

**By: Diana-Jae**

"Rei! Wait up!" Eyebrow raised in wonder, Rei turned his head over his shoulder and watched as Ran pushed through the crowd of gossiping students and trudged down the steps of the school to where he stood along the sidewalk.

"Kotobuki?"

The young woman was bent over with her hands resting on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. "Yuuya told me you weren't coming with us," she breathed softly as she stood up and fixed the strap of her bag that had fallen to the bend of her forearm.

Rei gingerly rubbed the back of his neck and eyed the bright red streak in Ran's honey tresses and looked indifferently to one side. "I'm going home to get some rest. I was actually suffering from insomnia last night so I haven't been thinking straight the whole day."

When Aya had come back home the night prior, it was nearly eleven o' clock. He didn't say anything, but from the tiny opening of his bedroom door, he could see the subtle glow of light coming from beneath Aya's door in the darkness of the hallway, and for some reason, he found himself not able to sleep. His mind was clear, concentrating on nothing but the small patch of light in the hallway, and it wasn't until nearly two o' clock in the morning, when the lights went off, that he fell asleep.

Since that night in the park, he hadn't seen or heard from Aya. He had expected to see her at the breakfast table that morning, at least, but to his surprise, Miss Okanishi, one of the household maids, had informed him that she had left shortly after his parents had gone off to work. His arrival at school proved only to cause more bewilderment when he discovered that Aya was nowhere to be seen. Yuuya had even vocally wondered about her during lunch hour, piquing the interests of Ran and Miyu, who brushed it off rather quickly when the subject shifted to a get-together at a small café at the Shibuya shopping center.

"Oh." Ran immediately dove for her bag and began to rummage through it until she was able to grab hold of two tickets, which she presented to the taller youth. "That's your ticket. You're still going tonight, aren't you?"

Rei stared at the pair of tickets and tentatively accepted them. Ran had announced the Friday prior that her father had received a set of six tickets to a concert, but since it wasn't the type of music that he could appreciate, he handed them over to Ran. Trick City, a fairly new and rising Osaka-based band, was becoming quite popular with the teenage community so Ran had decided for everyone that they should all go. Besides, she had argued, it would be a waste if no one went.

"Yeah. I'll call you later, Kotobuki." Rei was about to turn and begin his walk home when he stopped and inquired why she had given him two tickets.

"Mami just called Yuuya and told him she couldn't make it tonight because of a family affair, and Yamato can't go either," she explained with a silly grin. "He has patrol duty. So we had two extra tickets, and I gave Yamato's to Tatsuki. Miyu and Yuuya didn't know what to do with Mami's ticket so they thought maybe you knew someone who wanted to go."

"I do?" Rei asked puzzled.

Ran shrugged and began walking back up the steps of the school. "I don't know. You can give it to one of your fans or something. Just call me later. I'm on duty for classroom clean-up with Miyu and Yuuya today."

Rei watched Ran's small figure retreat up the steps and weave past the students still loitering about before she disappeared into the school. He had liked her for a really long time now, but despite his cool and confident disposition, he couldn't quite get himself to confess to her. He entertained the idea that maybe it was because she was so loud and wild, but it wasn't like they were from different planets. If they really were opposites, they wouldn't have become friends in the first place. Besides, Kotobuki was a genuinely good person. A wry smile crept its way onto his detached expression and dared to wonder about the possibility of confessing to her that evening.

Aya let out a sigh as her hazel eyes gazed out the window into the courtyard where a division of the soccer team was practicing scoring goals. She could feel the effects of lack of sleep taking its toll on her body as she leaned her forehead against the window, her mind now a dizzying a whirlpool and her body feeling heavy and sluggish. She hadn't meant to stay up so late the night prior, but she had gotten so caught up in looking for job ads via the Internet through her laptop and wireless access. And once she had found a few that seemed decent and convenient, she had meant to turn the lights off and go to sleep but found herself reading a novel instead. Subconsciously, she had still been bothered about the progression of the day and turned to a book for comfort. It wasn't until late into the night when her vision had suddenly diverged, indicating that she was, indeed, tired.

Then early that morning, she got ready for school early, and when the Otohatas had kindly wondered why she was up so early, she had managed to find it in herself to tell them that there was a school committee meeting that she had to attend, which she really did not. She just needed to stop by the two shops that she had found during the night and see if they would hire her. Fortunately for Aya, her first choice, a café that was en route to the school and to the Otohata residence, had immediately hired her and told her she would begin work the following day. Skipping off to school, she had completely forgotten that she had not eaten anything since the night before.

"I feel like I'm going to die," she mumbled to herself as she clutched tightly upon the strap of her book bag. She still had not eaten anything, not even during lunchtime because she had been too preoccupied in wandering around the school campus and inquiring about the clubs and extra-curricular activities. Using her weight to push herself away from the windowpane, she slowly plodded down the corridors where she was suddenly knocked down by a rushing teenager.

Aya's small voice managed to deliver a vocal expression of pain as she fumbled blindly for her things that had scattered on the floor.

"I'm so sorry. Here, let me help you with your things." Aya stopped and tried to concentrate on the fuzzy image before her. When her vision finally cleared, she was able to make out a girl with thick, wavy tresses, a distinct red streak off on one side, grabbing a hold of the contents that had fallen out of her bag.

"No, _I'm_ sorry," Aya began as she tried to pull herself up. "I should have been watching where I was going."

The other girl only laughed as she held out the things she had picked out to Aya. "I'm Ran. Kotobuki Ran."

Aya blinked and gingerly received her things, which she clutched to her chest as she introduced herself. "Hoshino Aya."

"Hoshino?" the girl asked with a puzzled smile. "I don't think I've ever heard that name before. Are you new here?"

"Yes. My parents want me to finish high school here."

Ran's face brightened even more as she asked Aya if she were so privileged as to be living on her own. Her query merely produced an embarrassed expression from Aya, who immediately remembered that she was living with the Otohatas.

"Actually, I'm not," Aya replied shyly. "I'm living with the family that my parents know."

"Oh, that's cool," Ran said, a smile still plastered on her features. "At least you don't have to worry about paying rent."

Aya blushed even more, and looked away. She almost wished that she really did die from weakness and her hunger. Thankfully for her, Ran had suddenly blurted out that she had to finish a classroom duty so she had to leave. "It was nice to meet you, Aya," she called over her shoulder. "Let's hang out sometime, okay?"

Despite having been embarrassed, Aya actually found herself smiling. She was the first person who had tried to carry a half-way decent conversation with her the whole day, and she was almost certain that if Ran were aware of her predicament, she would not have mentioned anything that would have reminded her or her current situation, thus, their conversation would have been more pleasant. Turning back around, she decided that she should head back to the Otohata residence and perhaps get something to eat before taking a small nap, but even before she could take a step forward, her vision suddenly went black, and she fell unconscious onto the ground.

**Author Notes: **This is actually one of the few fics that I have where the chapters are short. I do hope to make this longer in the future though, and I promise that there will be more Rei and Aya interactions in the chapters to come. I'm hoping that by the next chapter, I can have them having more of a conversation instead of something simple and boring.

It was necessary to have Ran's introduction early because she will play a big role in Rei and Aya's "developing" relationship. So yeah, that's why you get a big chunk of Ran here and also why I disclosed Rei's infatuation for her. The story will progress soon, so I hope you guys don't lose interest just yet.

Comments, suggestions, flames, reviews, constructive and destructive criticisms are most welcome and deeply encouraged.

Thank you so much for reading.

Standard disclaimers apply.


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